


The Other Side Of The Stars

by LamiaHypnosia



Series: Our Time In The Universe [7]
Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Past Character Death, Platonic Life Partners, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24464110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiaHypnosia/pseuds/LamiaHypnosia
Summary: During the hardest year of her life Kenna pays a visit to Vicar Max. They both pay tribute to the man who changed everything forever.The time for tears never passes but there is still joy. And of course, there is always hope.Also crude jokes.
Relationships: Female Captain & Maximillian DeSoto
Series: Our Time In The Universe [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663147
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	The Other Side Of The Stars

“Max! Hey Max!” 

The vicar turned to see the young man running toward him, breathless. Halting, the youth leaned over, panting with his hands on his knees. He must have run all the way here.  
“There’s a lady here to see you.”

“What lady?”

“Dunno, some spacer.”

Max sighed lightly. Yet another person in need to intrude on his thoughts. “Yes, thank you Rupert.”  
The kid nodded and ran off. Runners swarmed Edgewater these days relaying messages. Surely wireless messages were faster but too many needed work. Rupert was a nice kid, a little dense but kind hearted. Too bad he’d been saddled with the name Rupert. Reminded Max a bit of Felix. Last he heard Felix was back on Groundbreaker. He followed Parvati like a puppy, drawn to her kindness, probably. He was likely restless, poor lad.

Then he saw her. 

She was nodding, reaching up and playing with her hair idly while discussing something with one of the workers. 

Max called to her “I’d say ‘hello captain’ but it’s been so long since I’ve been in your service.”

Turning, her eyes lit up and she grinned. “Max! It’s so good to see you!" 

Max expected her to be happy. Maybe not as ecstatic as she was but it warmed his heart. He did not, however, expect her to hug him. Thankfully the others had dispersed but he felt his face getting warm. She smelled nice, like rose ish or whatever it was called. Max stood there like an idiot letting her play with his hands. "I'm still a captain, just not your captain."

She'd always be his captain. “Quite the surprise. What brings you out here?”

“Oh I was just in the neck of the woods, thought I’d stop by and say hi. I’m resupplying to head to Monarch, Nyoka’s managed to track down one of their homegrown beasties and Sanjar is paying big for it.” She paused for breath. “ You know it’s so weird to see you in civvies.”

As usual she didn’t notice she was babbling and not letting him get a word in edgewise. He looked down at himself then back up. “Why is it so weird?”

She shrugged. “Not in your uh, whatchacallit.”

“Vestments?” Max supplied.

“Yeah.”

“Well certainly give Nyoka my regards when you see her.”

The conversation did little to avert the fact that here was Kenna, beaming and sidling as though...it was as though she liked him. Or maybe as she said she was just happy to see him.

There was no rush for her to go off-world, the expedition with Nyoka wouldn’t begin until Kenna arrived anyway so she sat and chatted with him for a while. Eventually they sat down to lunch and Kenna as per usual wolfed down her food and talked and talked and talked. It was almost as though no time had passed at all. Max had to admit he enjoyed their conversations. Well, when he was able to speak. 

Before, he’d lamented having anyone to talk to who wasn’t brainwashed by Spacer’s Choice. This stranger asked all the hard questions and wasn’t pleased when he deflected them. She was never satisfied with platitudes and challenged the teachings of the OSI. What should we strive for if the Plan is laid out for us? How do we know we are following the Plan? She was no sheep, to be certain. Kenna had her own way of thinking and doing some of those things- okay, most of those things were not very bright but it occurred to Max there was a fine line between bravery and stupidity. 

Our existence, she’d said, was a challenge in and of itself. You know the right thing to do, so it’s up to you to do it. Saving the Hope was the right thing. Max knew he and the others sacrificed little in this endeavor.

Finally she paused for breath then said “You know, you look really good. Like, you’ve got a nice tan and you look happier.” Holding out her hands she made a frame of her thumbs and fingers while Max stared at her half in confusion and the other half amusement. 

“And you are still a motormouth.” That made her chuckle but he added rather more awkwardly than intended “But you look good, too.” 

At least by now her little quirks had their charm. Heretofore it was a miserable game of Follow the Idiot. Then again, who’s the bigger idiot, the idiot or the idiots that followed him. Max had laughed aloud when he realized that little nugget of truth. Still there was more there than pants on head dumbassery. It hid a sharp clever mind that, when the chips were down, got the Unreliable’s crew out of trouble more times than Max could count. 

Further still was a heart of pure gold. Try as she might to pretend she was hunting beasts for the bits, Max knew seeing Nyoka again was Kenna's top priority. The hunter had taken both Kenna and Parvati under her wing and given them more proper training with firearms. Both ladies liked their blunt instruments but sometimes more finesse was required. 

Afterward the two of them took a walk. Vicar Max spoke of the restoration efforts for the outlying towns. Edgewater was still pretty isolated but a number of freighters still arrived with increasing frequency. Things were looking up but people here were used to hard work. Now they might even get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

She gave him an odd look, like she knew something he didn’t. 

“What?” he finally asked, somewhat amused and a tad frustrated.

“Nothin’, just thinkin’ about the old days. It’s nice to hear you care and not just call everyone dead eyed yokels.” Eventually they reached the landing pad. Then to his bafflement she raised up on tiptoe to peck his cheek. “Good seein’ ya, Vicky. Ta.” 

Then she flounced off and left him there. 

-

Well I’m here.

I always liked Terra 2. It’s so pretty. Reminds me of home. Like, not just Earth but being here feels like coming home. Really when I was with you, I felt like I was home.

We came here all the time, first to do your experiments with my TTD then sometimes you’d come with me to visit Vicar Max. Max is alright, he tires easily. Some marauders attacked the town a month ago and got him pretty badly. He plays it off but I don’t think he ever got better. Not really. But that’s Max for you. Doesn’t want anyone to worry. 

So much has happened this year. I don’t even know where to start.

Edgewater is opening back up and expanding. Marauder attacks are less and less. But I wish you were here to witness this. Even in a year everything’s changed so much. It’s getting better. 

I...I’m not okay.

We avoided this talk all the time. How you didn’t want me to waste my life on you. I think about ifs a lot. I did then, too. 

Bad news, though. Something we missed. I forget the whys, but those of us who were frozen too long, the scientists estimate our lifespans are shortened. How short, nobody is sure. 

Part of me is glad for that. I don’t know what holds me together anymore. Nyoka has her mercenary group, CHARON, Parvati has her work...and Junlei... Ellie has her ship. Felix has...tossball, I guess. Max has his ministry. 

These days I just drift alone. I feel like an alien or a ghost. I try to be around people more to stave off the melancholy but…

They say it gets easier. It's not. 

I miss you.

So much.

-

Kenna was only dimly aware of the tears on her cheeks. She quickly dashed them away and with utmost care pulled the weeds from the grave and pulling a cloth from her pocket polished the brass plaque:

Phineas Vernon Welles

March 27th, 2292 - February 18th, 2362

Donated by the colonists of the UDL-002 Hope 

We are forever in your debt  
From your labor we survived  
With your dedication we will thrive.

\- 

She sat there for a long time tracing the engraved letters.  
“I’ll see you on the other side of the stars, Phineas.” Kissing the tips of her fingers she touched the plaque with loving sadness. Rising she dusted off her knees and squinted at the figure on the periphery of her vision. “Vicar, how long have you been standing there?”

“I only just arrived.” Max said and she noted anxiously he was moving slowly. Instantly Kenna took his elbow. “ I meant to tend the grave sooner.”

“Oh come on, you’re vicar. Nobody's gonna let you walk up here, not with your bum knee. Delegate!” As she spoke she fussed over him giving his appearance a once over in a way that reminded Max of his mother. 

The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I prefer to do it myself. I apologize it was not clean as befits a place of rest.”

“It’s alright, really.”

They both gazed at the grave in silence for a time, a light breeze ran down the hill to play with their hair and clothes. It was a serene spot hand picked by Kenna, overlooking the ocean and at night a stellar tapestry unfurled above it. 

“People had a fit over how humble this site is.” Kenna grumbled. The original plan was a gaudy disaster that she immediately shot down. Phineas would have loathed it. Max grimaced, recalling the gossip that the high society pricks had started- the passive aggressive comments that Kenna did not show proper respect to the late scientist. They also never stopped wagging their tongues about how the two never signed a marriage contract though certainly they would have just wagged harder. Had they not been freelance (or an outlaw) it would have been very scandalous, illegal even. “But isn’t the plaque the Hope team sent nice?”

“Yes it is.” Max agreed. “A lovely dedication.” 

“Good thing Adelaide synthesized her fertilizer, if she went digging up people again I’d have to skin her alive.”

“I would never allow it.”

Kenna sighed heavily and leaned against Max pulling on his arm now, treating him as though he were the parent. Slipping his arm free he put it around her. 

“I loved him.” She said and just those simple words, just three simple words filled with so much emotion that it moved Max. He closed his eyes briefly.

“I know you did.” Max replied quietly.” And that love touched others. That it is never too late. Both of you were stubborn as could be. Do you wish you’d listened to your doubts and worries?”

She scoffed. “No. But stars, do I miss him. Everything reminds me of him. Nights alone are really tough. But I’m getting better. Max?”

“Yes?”

“I never thanked you for snapping me out of my pity party that time.”

Max frowned. “I worried I was being cruel. Felix certainly thought so.”

She shook her head. “Not at all. I needed a swift kick in the ass. I was really angry for a while. I didn’t know where to turn, no one knew how I felt. No one ever knew how I felt except...except Phineas.” Max knew speaking the name was difficult. 

“Such time lost. I can see how you had that in common. But most of all you both had conviction. And you both embraced the chaos. ”

Kenna gazed up at the sky. “You know, I always had this feeling that when I die I just return to the cosmos. The universe is us, we are the universe and all that. We’re made of star stuff. So in that sense I’ll be with Phineas again.” Her eyes fell on the plot to the right of Phineas' grave. Where she'd be laid to rest one day as per her request. 

She is always looking up, Max thought. “A fine sentiment.”

Kenna's stomach growled. Loudly. It sounded like an old wooden door being rolled shut. She chuckled. "Time to feed the beast!"

Max suppressed a smile. "It is time for dinner."

Giving the grave one last glance Kenna turned and bounded down the hill. "I could eat an entire woolly cow!"

Max followed her at a more sedate pace, hands behind his back. "Not the best idea, perhaps."

Crinkling her nose at him she said "Oh hush up or I'll eat you!"

"I'd probably be very gamey."

Then she sang " It's priest, have a little priest. Is it any good? Sir, it's too good, at least!' "

Max could only shake his head at her.

"Hey Max?"

"Yes?"

Kenna walked backwards and hooking her fingers into the corners of her mouth pulled her lips wide "How many Purpleberry Bunches do you think I can fit in my mouth?"

Max sighed. "I don't know, how many?"

"Guess!"

"I haven't got a clue."

"Hey Max!" 

Max counted to five and answered as politely as he could. "Yes, Kenna?"

The grin on her face was almost obscene. "Do you have any tattoos from prison?"

He blanched. "Certainly not."

"You're lying."

"I am not!"

She pointed at him "Yeah you are, you made that face all the time when you were bluffing at cards!"

Max averted his gaze. "I am not making a face."

"Okay tell you what. You guess how many Purpleberry Bunches I can fit in my mouth and if you're right, dinner is on me. If I'm right- you show me your prison tattoo."

Max was indignant now "I don't have a prison tattoo!"

Kenna shrugged "I can always ask Ellie."

Max growled then said "Two and a half?" This was better than her asking Ellie. Ellie would blow it out of proportion, probably say he was marked as someone's bitch.

She laughed. "Close! Three! Four if I relax." Clapping him on the back Kenna started down the hill again. "You've been a good sport so din-din is on me."

But Max did not move. Rolling his eyes he fumbled at his waistband pulling up his shirt. "Just so you don't let your imagination run wild. Here."

Just above his groin in flowing script with an arrow pointing to his private area, were the words GIANT TOSSBALL STICK in bright red ink.

Kenna laughed so hard she fairly screamed. She whooped, howled, even. Doubling over she laughed until tears ran down her cheeks. Pulling his clothing back in place Max followed her down the hill. Eventually he allowed himself a chuckle. 


End file.
